Announcements

Achievement Unlocked!

/ Shane / 6 Comments

I have an announcement to make.

In my spare time, I have been secretly writing and trying to sell professional-level short fiction. (Specifically speculative fiction, which includes fantasy, science fiction, and horror.) At first I (very, very) naively believed that this would be a snap. Even though I tried to tell myself it wasn’t so, I still secretly thought I was a hot-shot natural who would type up a story or two and then the acceptances would start rolling in.

3 1/2 years and 132 rejections later, my eyes have been opened.

Writing a story that an editor wants to publish is a lot harder than I ever imagined. Even just getting down on paper the story you imagine in your head is a lot harder than I ever imagined. Furthermore, that’s not even the hard part; the hard part is finding time to keep writing when the rejections, dishes, and laundry are piling up, and you have two small kids who need 110% of your effort, to say nothing of a full time job.

Way back at the beginning, I decided to keep my fiction writing a secret “until such time that I feel this whole idea is not foolish. Or, until I decide that it is completely foolish and we can all have a good laugh about it.”

Well, I can finally say it is the former rather than the latter. I am pleased to announce that my story, “My Heart is a Quadratic Equation” will appear in the September issue of Redstone Science Fiction!

It feels so good to finally have a win (even if the score is 132 to 1) that I am “coming out of the closet” so to speak with my illicit, night-time fiction writing. Momentarily I will unlock the “Writing” category and all the posts contained therein. If you feel the need to go back and read them, please remember that 3 1/2 years ago I was more or less a clueless idiot when it came to professional writing.  (I’m sure that in another 3 1/2 years I will look back at this post and consider my current self more or less a clueless idiot when it comes to professional writing.)

So there it is. You can be sure I will link to the story when it goes live on their website, and from here on out, any other information about my writing.

The first of many!

Happy Birthday to my Independent Girl

/ Shane / 1 Comment

Happy 5th birthday to my beautiful daughter Evelyn.

5 seems so old. I can’t believe it has been 5 years already. I guess that I am probably going to be saying that every year from now on.

Evie is so imaginative, and she loves to play pretend, specifically that she is a different girl (or angel or fairy) who is coming to stay at our house. We play that basically every night. Her favorite thing is to hear stories; stories about your childhood, stories you make up, or stories read out of a book. She will never, ever get tired of hearing stories. She likes to play with her friends, or make new friends. She doesn’t like to have relaxing time, but then when you go down to get her she is so engrossed in her games that she is reluctant to stop. Mostly she dresses her animals in crazy outfits, or builds elaborate towns with whatever she can find (blocks, duplos, and tiny pieces from any board games she can find, especially the cherries from Hi Ho Cherry O).

Evie seems so much older than she is. She is such a good girl. If she has any faults, it’s simply being too smart for her own good, which tends to lead to backtalk and thinking she knows better than her parents (I dread, dread, dread the day when she becomes a teenager!) However, we really don’t have to worry about her. She can manage on her own as well as any just-turned-5-year-old and she never gets into any real trouble. The worst things she might do are so much more minor than most of the stories I hear from other parents of kids her age. If anything, she is a goody two-shoes, and a bit of a tattle-tale.

Partially because of this, partially because she talks nonstop, and partially because of her love of imagination and stories, I sometimes really see myself in her. However, there are a few downsides to that as well. Evie can have a fiery temper. Much like me (or even more so, my sister), she does not appreciate being told what to do, and it practically ensures she won’t do it, even if it’s something she really wanted to do anyway. On the other hand, also like my sister, she is very independent and is not likely to allow people to push her into doing she doesn’t want to do, or to walk all over her. I’m hoping this can help at least a little bit against peer pressure in the future.

Ollie plays a big part in Evie’s life as well. Sometimes they can play together for hours. She mothers him like no other, and is more likely to cry if he gets hurt than he is himself. They only thing they really fight about is when they both want the same toy, which happens pretty frequently. Actually, considering he is 2 and hasn’t outgrown the idea that everything he sees should be his, this actually happens relatively infrequently, all things considered. Ollie is so rolled up in Evie’s life, she spends so much time thinking about him, playing with him, and caring for him, that I can’t really imagine what she would be like without him (although that goes double for Ollie, since at least I do actually have some memories of Evie before he was born). I just wish they wouldn’t keep each other from falling asleep at night.

So happy birthday Evie, here’s to a hundred more. I’m sorry that I’m too hard on you, and I can’t wait to see what kind of person you become.

Happy 4th of July!

/ Shane / Leave a comment

In honor of the nation’s birthday, there will be no post today. Anyway, I know nobody would be here to read it, so what’s the point? No reason to keep the shop open for my own sake.

Instead, lets enjoy the outdoors, eat some wonderful food, and celebrate the only holiday that encourages you to blow things up.

-The Management

Bad Time of Year

/ Shane / 2 Comments

Unfortunately, another family member passed away. This is turning out to be a bad time of year.

This time it was my Grandma. Today would have been her 84th birthday. Instead of celebrating with a party, we are attending her funeral.

Grandma and Evie, in happier times

It was certainly not surprising, and we were all fortunate to have time to visit and say goodbye. In fact, people have been predicting her demise every day for at least 5 years now.

Aunt Sue: “I’m not really sure why she still hangs on.”
Me: “Are you saying she’s stubborn? Now there’s a shocker.”

If I had to describe my Grandma in one word, it would be fierce (and not in a Tyra Banks kind of way). Stubborn would certainly be fitting, but I think fierce is more accurate. A stubborn person doesn’t give up. A fierce person fights like a cornered badger. A stubborn person is solid, like stone. Grandma was full of fire.

When my Grandpa died, it was hard to imagine the family without him. However, Grandma took over as the matriarch of the family without missing a beat, keeping everybody in line. She was not a person who was afraid to tell you how she felt. Even towards the end, she didn’t miss anything. Because of her frail appearance, it was easy to forget that her mind was still as sharp as ever, until she would make a comment that was right on the money. I’m glad that she got to meet my kids.

I haven’t talked to anybody yet who wouldn’t agree that this was one of those situations where her death truly was a mercy. Being confined to a bed is no way to live, and even before that, she hadn’t been able to get around easily for a long time. Her health was on the decline for so long, and there really wasn’t much left to give.

So Grandma, we’re so sad that you’re gone, but we understand. I know how much you missed Grandpa, even after all this time. I know, in the end, he came to get you, just like you always said he would.

Rest in peace.

Betty J. Halbach, Janesville  (1928 – 2012)

January 20, 1928 – January 12, 2012
Betty J. Halbach, 83, of Janesville passed away Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, at her home. Betty was born on Jan. 20, 1928, in Detroit, MI, the daughter of Elmer and Elizabeth. She graduated from Dominican High Academy in Detroit. She married Frederick W. Halbach on July 3, 1948. Betty was formerly employed as a teacher at St. Mary’s School, Janesville, then later worked at Fairbanks-Morse Company and the Janesville Janitorial Service. She later managed the Regency House Apartments in Janesville. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church, Milton.
Surviving are four sons and three daughters: William F. of Janesville, Susan (Terry) of Janesville, John C. (Sharon) of Warren, IN, James (Becky) of Hanover, David A. of Janesville, Mary of Janesville, and Cathy (Terry) of Janesville; 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick, on June 12, 1997. Her parents and her twin brother, William, also preceded her in death.
“A special thanks to Agrace HospiceCare and Senior Services of Rock County for their many kindnesses to Betty and her family.”

Happy Birthday to Me

/ Shane / Leave a comment

Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday dear proprietor of this bloooog!
Happy birthday to me!